Remember
by jasongraece
Summary: In which, the participants of the 75th Hunger Games are reaped from those closest to remaining victors, to show that even winners lose in war. Gadge, Everlark, Odesta
1. The Reaping

**Madge** wakes up the morning of the Reaping with a lock of hair between her lips. It might be a bad omen. Her blonde hair is long, maybe too long, and after her shower, she ties it up in a pretty ponytail. Madge watches the sun rise in the sky and thinks she should have done this more often while she had the chance. After today, everything will change.

Madge pulls a red ribbon from her dresser and ties herself a bow for her ponytail. Looking at herself in the mirror, she notices that her mother is right. She looks just like her Aunt Maysilee. And, just for today, Madge is alright with that.

Her father hugs her extra tightly at breakfast, and they walk to the square in silence. Her mother is much too ill to come out for a reaping of all things.

Madge is almost happy that her mother can't come, because it means that she won't see _it_ happening.

It's unfortunate for Madge that Katniss and Peeta have very little friends.

Standing in a tight circle are three girls and four boys.

Delly Cartwright is a good friend of Peeta's and Madge knows that she's scared out of her mind. Dressed in a pretty green dress, Delly looks like a leaf as she shakes in fright in front of everyone. Delly wouldn't last two seconds in the Games, Madge thinks, and what a waste it would be. Madge reads her father's papers and she knows- she _knows_- just how bad it is in the other districts. There was a lot to lose should District Twelve not make an impression in these Games. Madge thinks Delly is too soft, too kind for the Games- but then again, so many would say the same of herself.

Next to Madge is Prim. _Prim_. She's hiding her face in Madge's arm, avoiding Katniss' hard gaze. It isn't fair, she thinks. Madge stares back at Katniss and swallows. Katniss looks ready to snap, ready to push Effie off the grey stage and instigate a full scale rebellion in Twelve, but Peeta's grip on her hand seems to be grounding her to her spot from Madge's point of view. She wants to yell at her, tell her to do something, but Katniss can't do anything and neither can Peeta, or Haymitch. He refuses to meet her gaze. Madge is sure he's drunk on stage again.

Just the statement President Snow wanted to convey- victors are powerless against the Capitol.

Effie's gold painted hand dips into the glass bowl and fiddles with the three slips inside. It doesn't matter to Madge whose name comes out of the reaping bowl, because she knows what's going to happen.

She's known ever since the Quell was announced. That's why her father has to ask why he hasn't heard her playing piano, or why her hands are covered in blisters, or why she doesn't come home on time anymore.

Madge is ready, maybe.

More ready than Prim or Delly at any rate.

Madge is ready to give them a show and go out with a bigger bang than her aunt. She wants to avenge the fallen tributes- not only the aunt she never met, but _all of them. _

When Prim Everdeen's name is called for the second time, Madge peels the girl off her arm, hands her to Delly, and volunteers.

**-oOo-**

**Gale** knows that while there are four slips of paper in the boys bowl, they all have his name on them. He knows this for a fact, because Katniss knows this for a fact because Snow told her so. He doesn't expect Peeta's brothers or his friend Derek to volunteer.

He's spoken to his mother, given Posy an extra tight hug and Vick a good hair ruffling. It all feels so final.

Rory stands next to him, trying to act strong, but it doesn't work considering the kid's barely turned 12 and shaking like a leaf. Gale's already warned him not to do anything stupid. Since the day the Quell was announced, he's taken time to teach Rory snares and some basics about survival in District Twelve. He'll have to know how to take care of their family once Gale is gone.

When he goes into the arena, Gale won't expect to come back. He's told himself time and time again that the Capitol won't let him live. They want to make a statement: No one is safe.

That's not to say he won't try to win. He's not going to let the Capitol kill him without putting up a good fight.

But the odds are definitely not in his favor.

Effie draws the girl's name first and he's not surprised to hear Prim's name again. He's prepared for that. He's ready to protect Prim.

He's more surprised when Madge Undersee volunteers. Katniss is surprised too.

Madge helps Delly hold onto Prim before she casually walks up to the stage. The red ribbon in her swaying ponytail stands out as she climbs each stair with deliberate steps. When she shakes Effie's hand, Gale flinches. She's angry and he can tell. Madge looks almost _scary. _

She is not the same girl he used to sell strawberries to.

Gale almost feels bad for her- _it isn't fair, the Games are never fair_ - until his name is pulled and Rory opens his fucking mouth.

"I volunteer!"

_He'll kill him himself. _

Gale's grabs his little brother by the shoulders and shakes him angrily, shouting, "Rory-"

"They need you more than me!" His brother sobs and Gale shakes his head and pulls his brother behind him when the Peacekeepers come to escort him to the stage.

"He didn't mean it!" Gale growls when one of them asks Rory to come quietly.

"Rules are rules. Stand aside, Hawthorne."

"Get away from him!" Gale's just about to punch the Peacekeeper when Peeta and Haymitch come stumbling off the stage to calm things down. But Gale will not be calm, he will not let his brother do this, he won't let them-

"He's not going!" He pushes Rory further behind himself and he seethes. Peeta and Haymitch try arguing with them but _victors have no say. _

Gale reaches behind him but comes up empty. He spins around to find that Rory has moved around them all and is climbing up the stairs. Madge is trying to get him to go back.

The last thing he remembers seeing is a fighting Madge being hoisted out of sight by two Peacekeepers, and then it's black.

* * *

**A/N: A little project that was inspired by Gadge week. More chapters to come, let me know what you think.**


	2. Training

**Madge** and Peeta sit across from each other at a table on the train. Katniss and Rory are having a shouting match at the back of the train. Katniss is angry. Madge suspects its because she can relate. She isn't sure where Haymitch is. Peeta's head is in his hands and he seems so so tired. Madge feels sorry for him.

The chaos in the Square surrounding Rory's 'noble' act was definitely draining. Madge has a black eye and her lip is bleeding from her struggle with Thread. Her ribbon is halfway out of its knot. She wants nothing more than to turn back time and use the ribbon to wrap Rory's big mouth shut.

Peeta sighs.

"Madge, I'm sorry-"

"It's alright, Peeta." Madge laughs softly, sadly- "It's not your fault. It's the Capitol." She plays with a loose thread on her dress and Peeta frowns.

They talk about her strengths, her weaknesses, and Rory. Madge thinks Peeta is a great mentor, but he shouldn't have ever been in that position. No one should have to lead children to their deaths. Children should never have been dying. Madge feels angrier and angrier as Peeta gives her more advice that he learned from past Game's tapes.

Madge will do something- something drastic- something to fan the flames spreading across Panem- to set the Capitol ablaze-

"What's your plan?" Peeta finally asks and Madge has to think about it.

Madge shrugs, "I'm figuring something out."

Peeta looks at her differently and asks, "What about Rory?"

Madge hugs her arms and looks out the window at the passing mountains. "I'm not going to leave him to fend for himself, if that's what you're thinking. He's just a kid."

"That's not-"

Madge sits up straighter and Peeta probably thinks she's crazy when she says, "I've got an idea."

But he listens to her anyways.

-oOo-

Madge had been practicing long before she entered the training center.

That much is obvious to anyone who sees her navigate the obstacle course in record time. Rory's absolutely fascinated. And a little scared.

Madge can tell that she's made an impression on more than a few of the other tributes. She walks back to Rory after giving the girl from Eight a pat on the back for trying to climb the tall net. Her older brother sends her a grateful nod and turns back to learning how to use a sword.

The tributes this year are very unusual.

The boy and girl from One are middle-aged and slow, never having prepared for the Games like a typical Career would. The duo from Two are each the child of a victor. They have the build of Careers and Madge stays away from them, and makes sure Rory does the same.

The tributes from Three are an elderly couple, who volunteered in place of their grandchildren who were reaped. They are the parents of a victor. Madge watches them talk lowly to each other at the survival station and feels sad.

District Four's boy is a young man around Rory's age, who doesn't stop talking about his dad. His district partner is actually a past victor herself. The crazy one. There's much controversy surrounding her reaping so Madge leaves her alone for now. She doesn't seem very social.

Districts Five and Six have middle aged tributes and all four are spouses of victors. The ones from Five seem to be good friends and the ones from Six seem hollow and dead already.

The tributes with full body tattoos are from Seven and the little girl from Eight hasn't let go of her older brother's hand yet.

The girls from Nine and Eleven are around Madge's age, while the girl from Ten is almost three times their age. The boy from Nine is deaf. The man from Ten is dying. The elderly man from Eleven is very kind.

And then, there's Madge and Rory.

Rory.

Madge watches him closely and realizes that he's actually learned a thing or two from his brother.

She makes sure Rory gets as much training as possible and finds he's actually very good at designing traps. She hopes it helps in the arena.

-oOo-

Katniss lets her hold her hand when the training scores are announced. Madge is shaking. Her plan depends on her score. She needs sponsors, she needs support-

"Madge, you're hurting me."

She lets go of Katniss' hand after a hasty apology and fists the material of her dress instead.

Haymitch stumbles into the room, joining Team Twelve for the first time since the train ride.

"Calm down, Blondie," he slurs and sits across the room, away from everyone, "You couldn't have done that badly."

"Be quiet, Haymitch." Katniss hisses before Caesar's voice fills the room.

_From District 12, Rory Hawthorne receives a score of… 7. _

Madge sends Rory a quick smile and takes in the astonished look on his face. He's surprised and only smiles when Peeta claps him on the back.

_And last but not least, Madge Undersee comes in with a score of… 12. _

Her little act in the training center has earned her the top score. Madge has been recognized as a threat, not by the other tributes, but by the Capitol. From memory, Madge had written down the names of every fallen tribute since the last Quarter Quell, including Maysilee Donner, in large red letters across the floor.

When she finished writing out Cato's name, she drew a mockingjay.

And then she'd sat down in the middle of the room.

They told her to leave, but she just drew more birds.

Peacekeepers had had to lift her out.

While Katniss and Peeta and Haymitch argue over the possible repercussions, Madge smiles.

_Everyone_ will be watching.


	3. The Interviews

**Gale** hates everything. He hates the Games. He hates Peacekeepers. He hates that his goofy little brother had the nerve to volunteer. He hates the Capitol the most.

But he'll sit and hold his mother's hand and watch as his kid brother, dressed in a suit that makes him look much bigger than he really is, steps up for his interview with that Capitol goon Flickerman.

"Rory!" The Green Haired Goon starts off smiling. Gale wants to look away but he can't.

Rory looks like he's about to wet his pants. It's breaking his heart.

The little dweeb never should have volunteered, Gale thinks angrily. All his thoughts have been angry. Rory might have pulled a 7 in training, but Gale knows it's only a matter of time before his brother slips up and does something stupid that'll get him killed. It should have been Gale, sitting there in the Capitol, going to the Games.

The interview moves painfully slow as Rory stutters through his practiced lines. Gale knows that Peeta must have helped him because Rory would never sway the crowd so quickly on his own. Something changes in the Capitol when twelve year old Rory Hawthorne says, in words Gale knows came straight from his little brother's head, that he'd volunteer for his older brother Gale any day if it meant he'd be safe.

Hazelle sobs into his chest and Gale has to make room for Posy in their huddle because the little girl is so lost and sad and she cries because they're crying and she doesn't understand. He strokes her hair and her little hands are gripping his shirt tightly as she sobs. He hates when Posy cries.

He hates the Capitol for doing this to his family.

Vick does understand though, and runs out of the house to beat on some poor tree until his hands bleed.

Rory finally shakes Caesar's hand and leaves the stage.

Madge's interview is last and she's absolutely glowing, literally. Flickerman kisses her hand and shows her off to the audience. She stumbles.

How she got a 12 in training, he'll never know, but something about that smile tells him there's much more to Madge than pretty dresses.

Gale watches her twirl for the crowd just like Katniss did. Madge's dress dissolves in a plume of smoke and reveals an older fashioned dress. When Caesar asks, she tells him it's just like the dress her aunt Maysilee wore to her interview, during the last Quarter Quell. The audience goes silent. Gale isn't sure what Madge is up to, but he is sure that he saw a real fear in Caesar's eyes as Madge went on to explain the sob story of the last Quell.

They sit down and Madge keeps bringing the conversation back to her aunt and past games even though Caesar tries to steer away from the topic of dead tributes. The Capitol doesn't like to acknowledge tributes who have fallen.

Madge blushes prettily when Caesar asks her about her boyfriend.

_Boyfriend_? Madge didn't have a boyfriend in Twelve. Or did she?

"He was pretty distraught, as you… well, especially after.." Madge stops and Flickerman hands her a tissue. She takes her time dabbing at her eyes.

Hazelle gasps. Gale doesn't know why. Even Posy is taken by Madge's words. He should probably go find Vick before a Peacekeeper does.

Caesar coaxes her to keep talking, even though she looks on the verge of tears again. Gale doesn't like it.

Madge coughs and straightens up.

"The last games were hard enough, you know. Katniss was the one who introduced us, and in any other case I'd try to win- but with Rory here-" Madge bursts into tears and Gale knows exactly where this is headed and he does not like it. _Does he like it?_ No, he does not like it. Madge is playing a dangerous game.

"Well, Madge, why don't you tell him something nice? I'm sure he's watching!" Caesar pats her on the shoulder and she nods and looks directly into the camera.

"I just want you to know, that- that I'm going to make sure your little brother gets home, Gale. I promise."

The audience in the Capitol goes _wild_.

Gale leaves to find Vick as soon as possible.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the kind response. Please let me know if there's anything you'd like to see in future chapters. Up next, The Games Begin!**


	4. The Bloodbath

Gale makes sure Posy can't hear anything, when the bloodbath begins. She's blindfolded and hiding her face in his chest. Her feet dig into his threadbare, coal-dusted pants and she's shaking. He doesn't want to watch it either, but _has to._ The camera zooms in on each tribute as the timer counts down. It hits Rory, and Gale flinches, knowing his brother is about to do something stupid again.

Madge's face is twisted into a ready frown. And the gong sounds.

This year, the arena is filled with rubble and destruction. It's supposed to be some sort of city. There are decaying buildings and they're so so tall. Rory looks very small as he navigates himself over rubble to get to the Cornucopia.

The deadliness of the bloodbath means that the Capitol can only show the 'best' _bloodiest, most gruesome _parts. Rory isn't exactly as bloodthirsty as the tributes from Two, who have already cut down the ones from Three, so he doesn't appear on camera again. After the longest six minutes of his life, Gale slumps in his seat and watches as Madge pulls Rory away from the Cornucopia and through the rubble. Rory has two backpacks on his back and Madge has a strange looking box in her hands- the screen changes and the elderly man from Eleven takes a knife for his district partner, who dies anyways as she waits and helps him up.

Gale holds Posy closer and _waits. _

-oOo-

Madge makes sure Rory stays ahead of her as they run away from the chaos of the bloodbath. They had been lucky, sort of. No one considered themselves too lucky if they were fighting in the Hunger Games. Rory had taken the two backpacks right from the middle of the cornucopia, because that's where he started off. The placement of tributes was very scattered. Madge had just grabbed the closest thing to her and taken off to get Rory. The desolate arena makes it clear that finding food isn't going to be easy. Madge prays there is some food they can ration in those backpacks. Whatever is in the purple box she's holding keeps shaking inside with every uneven step she makes.

Rory starts to slow down but Madge yells at him to keep moving. They are far from safe- or as safe as you can be during the Games. They run through the streets that are filled with broken glass and cracked pavement. Their outfits match: Black pants, grey short-sleeve shirts, black jackets, grey shoes. Madge has the Mockingjay pin on her shirt. A last minute token from Katniss.

_"It might help." _Katniss had said.

Madge hopes so.

"Stop." She tells Rory, as they come to a large decrepit building. The doors are panes of broken glass and it's probably not the best idea, but Madge decides it's going to have to do. They're far enough from the Cornucopia to hide here.

Rory goes in first and asks her if she's afraid of spiders.

She is.

"Then close your eyes."

She does, and Rory guides her into the building. He finds a staircase that isn't falling apart and leads her up seemingly endless flights of stairs until he's satisfied. Madge trusts his judgment.

They stop on the 13th floor. There are three small windows on the entire floor and Madge likes it. The floor is completely bare with the occasional support beam interrupting its flow.

They settle themselves in the middle of the room and Madge stands up again.

"Are you hurt?" She asks, and she looks at Rory in the dim light. His hair is messed up, and there are a few little scrapes on his hands from climbing over rubble, but other than that, he looks fine. He shakes his head 'no' and takes the backpacks off.

_"_Are _you_ hurt?" He asks.

Madge examines herself and, yes, she is. There's a long sliver of glass stuck in her hand. She wonders briefly how she didn't notice that. She holds up her hand.

"Could you take this out please?"

Rory takes out the glass carefully, and even offers part of his long sock to use as a bandage.

Madge declines and just takes the red ribbon from her hair. She rips off a bit of her own sock, balls it up, and secures it in place with the ribbon. It'll work.

The two backpacks Rory found sit between them.

Rory opens the smaller one first.

"Rope, wires, knife- oh wait, two knives," he takes stock and sets them in front of her, "and an empty jug."

"That's a good haul." Madge muses.

Rory grumbles and she's distinctly reminded of Gale, "It would be, if we were in a forest."

Despite their circumstances, Madge laughs.

Rory doesn't know what's so funny, so he takes up the bigger backpack and unzips it.

"Rations... one- two… five-… twelve matches. And a big flashlight."

Madge lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding. They have food, something to hold water in, and some protection.

"What's in the box?" Rory asks.

Madge opens up the strange box and her jaw drops. Rory peers into the top and whistles lowly.

_"_That's _a lot _of dynamite."

Madge nods slowly and closes the box. Talk about protection.

They set the dynamite aside, carefully, and decide to sit against the wall furthest from the door to the staircase- just in case. Madge lets Rory have his pick of the knives, and as he sets up a tricky snare in front of the door with the rope and wire, she watches the names of the fallen appear in the sky. Both from One, both from Three, the man from Five, the woman from Six, the man from Seven, both from Nine, the woman from Ten, and both from Eleven.

Twelve dead on the first day. Half of the competition is gone and Madge feels sad.

People are dead. The Capitol has taken twelve more lives. The fire that burns in Madge's soul triples in size.

Rory watches in awe as she uses the bloody bit of sock to write down the names of the fallen tributes on the wall.

"You're nuts."

Madge breathes out. "I know."


	5. Allies

The mines have been shut down again. **Gale** doesn't mind as much as he would have if Rory wasn't in the Games. Now, he has more time to watch him on the fuzzy screen at home.

The first day was particularly filled with death, so the Capitol must not feel like adding their own twists yet. Madge and Rory have been holed up in that building for nine hours and seventeen minutes. The snare Rory set up at the door is familiar because Gale's the one who taught it to him. Gale groans when Rory forgets to hook the whole thing up to the doorknob. Of course, Madge doesn't notice. Half an hour later, Rory jumps up and hurriedly fixes it. Good, Gale thinks, They're semi-protected now.

But, the camera switches to the tributes from Two, who are cornering the kids from Eight. The older brother pushes his little sister behind him and holds some sort of bottle in his other hand. He waves it at the other tributes, telling them to go away. They advance slowly, each wielding a knife and the boy throws the bottle at their feet and it blows up. While they get thrown back, the brother shields his sister from the blast, picks her up, and runs.

Gale respects him.

Those two end up finding an entrance to the underground portion of the arena, a place the commentators have been itching to talk about. The boy from Eight, Adam, uses his weight to jam the door shut behind him, which is either completely idiotic, or incredibly brave.

The camera switches back to the Careers. They're picking shards of glass out of each other's bodies and grumbling about the time wasted. They're also talking about whom to go after next. Gale tenses when they start to talk about Rory and Madge. They blow off Rory as another starving kid from Twelve, but Madge must have made an impression on them because they have a hard time deciding how to kill her. Her training score worries them, so they change focus and talk about the other tributes.

In the distance, a cannon goes off. On the television, a box pops up in the corner and shows the girl from Seven pushing the man from Ten off a building. The girl watches in horror as the man hits the pavement and his brains spill out around him. She starts to cry and the screen flickers strangely. A giant 13 is displayed for half a second and Gale thinks he imagined it, until Vick shakes his shoulder and asks why the Capitol is being so weird. The screen goes back to the Careers, who have decided to follow the sound of the cannon. Gale stands up.

"I'll be back later." He plants Vick in his vacated seat, "Stay."

"Yes, sir." Vick rolls his eyes but stays put as Gale walks out the door.

He needs to talk to someone- anyone- and he knows two guys who are stuck doing nothing just like him.

_-oOo-_

Madge has a headache and a throbbing ankle. Not the worst things to wake up to in the Games. She takes a look at Rory, who is curled up next to her, still asleep. It's her turn to take watch. Madge stands and the throbbing in her ankle grows. She must have hurt it running away. Madge is more worried about the dehydration. As far as she can tell, there have been no sources of water in the arena. She looks out the smallest of the three windows in the room and she sees no lakes, no rivers, no streams, not even a fountain. It's not a problem, yet.

She takes a deep breath. She's survived a day in the Hunger Games, much longer than anyone from home would have thought.

Outside, movement catches her eye. She can barely make out who it is, but once the taller figure stops to crouch on the ground and the shorter one tries to pull her away, she knows it's the tributes from Four.

It's risky, but Madge has a feeling they're just as desperate as she and Rory are for water. Maybe, if they become allies, their sponsors could afford to send some.

She pauses for a moment, tucks a piece of her hair that has fallen out of the ponytail behind her ear, and hopes Katniss and Peeta are alright.

Then, she takes out her knife and reflects the light outside into what she hopes is the little boy's eye. The first four times are useless but on the fifth try, he looks up and squints in her general direction. She pulls out her ribbon and waves it out the window and she has his attention. He doesn't move. His district partner does.

Annie Cresta. Victor of the 70th Hunger Games who went insane. She gets off the ground and pulls the boy, towards the building Rory and Madge are in.

"Sorry, Rory." Madge whispers, and she wakes him up.

He throws his arm over his eyes. "It's too early, Ma.."

Her heart aches at his words. He's just a _boy_- he's a kid- he shouldn't-

"Rory, wake up. It's important." Madge can hear footsteps coming from the stairwell.

He stands up, dizzy.

Madge ushers him to the snare and he waits.

"I need you to disable it for now."

"Why?" His voice cracks.

A shout echoes in the stairwell, "_Twelve_?! _Where are you, Twelve?_"

Rory begins to panic but Madge assures him that it's alright. He takes down the snare in a few seconds and holds out his knife, trying to be brave. Madge waits at the door. She can hear them talking on the floor below her.

"A-Annie, this isn't-"

"Finnick said." Annie's voice is soft as pulls her district partner up another flight of stairs and Madge tries to look her best.

"Hello, Annie."

Annie stands up straighter and tries to smile, while the boy next to her slouches and doesn't look at Madge. He looks at Rory, who is used to other boys trying to intimidate him- with Gale as an older brother, this kid from Four has no chance-

"Finnick said you'd help."

Madge takes a better look at Annie. Her long dark hair is in a plait down her back and a few pieces have come out. Annie's eyes are strikingly green and it's easy to see that she's not quite whole as a person. Madge likes her.

"Well, he was right. Come in."

Annie and her partner step into the room and Rory stares at Madge curiously. Madge motions for him to put his knife away and tells him to put the snare back up.

She steps over to one of the backpacks, pulls out four ration bars, and sits next to Annie. Rory sits on her other side.

She offers one to Annie's district partner first and asks, "Hungry?"

-oOo-

"I don't know, it seems a bit far-fetched." Thom rubs the back of his neck with one hand and throws a rock at the dirt path they're walking. Bristol wasn't home.

Gale knows what he saw. "There was a giant 13 on the screen- Katniss told me about the two girls from Eight- They were going to Thirteen."

"Why?"

"A better life- safety from the Capitol-"

"Do you_ really_ believe Thirteen exists?"

Gale nods. "Yes."

"You've been inhaling too much coal dust."

"_Thom-"_

-oOo-

After hours of talking, gathering water from the sudden rainstorm, planning, and adding another two names to her wall of fallen tributes (the girl from Seven, Sara, and the man from Ten, Horace), Madge and Annie are supposed to sleep first, but it's hard to sleep when the boys keep talking.

"My name is Trevor. What's yours?"

There's a pause before he actually replies, "Rory."

"You're the one who volunteered?"

"Yeah."

"…For your big brother?"

"Yup."

"That's cool."

Madge can _feel_ Trevor calming down. The kid is a ball of energy, but it seems even he has his limits. Madge is just about to fall asleep when he whispers,

"I wish _my_ brother loved me enough to do that."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for the amazing response to this story! Please let me know what you'd like to see, because this is where things get even crazier. **


	6. The Games

**Gale** can feel something is off in his district. In town, Peacekeepers are patrolling and stopping people at random. They search them. They hurt them. It makes Gale so angry- but he can't do anything without putting his family in danger. Rory's already in enough danger as it is.

Haymitch is back in town. After checking in on the Everdeen's, Gale notices that the light is on in Haymitch's house. At first, he thinks some kids are playing around in the old mans house, but the closer he gets, the more he realizes that it's much more serious than that. He peers into one of the dirty windows and makes out the figures of Haymitch and Madge's dad, the Mayor. Haymitch is waving his hands around, shouting about regulations and idiot mole people. Gale figures that Haymitch must be drunk, to be talking to the Mayor like that, but the Mayor just nods his head.

"She's going to get the whole damn District killed." Haymitch finally grumbles.

Gale knows that Madge has been pushing the Capitol's buttons but they'd never-

What was he thinking? It's _the Capitol- _of course they would. To make a statement. Katniss was right about the rebellions in the other districts. She'd set off something much bigger than herself and District Twelve was about to feel the repercussions of Katniss and Madge's actions in the Games. No one makes a fool of the Capitol without being punished.

Gale decides right there and then to go inside and see what they're planning, but before he can knock on the front door, it's pulled open.

"Get in here, kid. There are Peacekeepers everywhere."

Haymitch grabs him by the front of his shirt and drags him inside. As he walks further in, the Mayor bids Haymitch goodnight and nods at Gale.

Gale doesn't think he knows who he is. Or maybe he does. Who knows?

"Why aren't you in the Capitol?"

Haymitch laughs and pulls out a bottle of _something _from his coat pocket_. _"Sunshine said I needed to be here. Said she had it all '_handled'_."

Seeing Haymitch using air quotes might have made his day any other time, but Gale's upset.

"And you just listened?! Who's going to help my brother?!"

Haymitch snorts, "That kid's beyond help-"

Gale's arm shoots out towards the old victor but Haymitch catches his fist and throws it down.

"You wanna see, kid? Wanna watch the Capitol starve him?"

Gale snaps, "I've been watching the Capitol starve him all his life!"

Haymitch takes a step back and looks at him for a long time. Gale tries to calm down but Haymitch has pushed the one button that really sets him off. It didn't really matter whether or not Rory was in an arena or not. The Capitol was always going to starve him, make him their toy.

"You've got a lot of spunk, kid. Now I can see why your girlfriend likes you so much. You both are two Capitol-hating morons."

Gale huffs, "She's not my girlfriend."

"Better start acting like she is- if you want to get them anything in there." Haymitch sits down at a table that must be a dining table, but Gale can barely tell because it's covered in stains and glassware. He gestures for Gale to sit down and he does, suspicious.

Haymitch takes a swig of alcohol before he looks at Gale again.

"The boy is _fantastic_ at getting sponsors, and Sunshine is trying her best, but the prices for everything this year are ridiculous. Snow doesn't want us to be able to help them. He wants us to watch them all die."

"Why did you leave?"

"Someone had to be here to make sure you stay alive."

Wait, what?

Haymitch came back from the Capitol to- to watch _him?_

"What?"

"Look, Hawthorne- When the cameras come, we need you to _be angry._"

_That won't be hard, _Gale thinks. But one thing bothers him.

"We?"

Haymitch pauses, like he's debating something, and then he says, "Katniss, Peeta, and I. That's our angle with you and that firecracker wasting away in the arena. She's upset, and you're upset, and _everyone's _upset. The people in the Capitol are enamored with you two, for some reason. A lot of theories on that."

Gale doesn't really care what the people in the Capitol think and he tells Haymitch just that.

Haymitch laughs, "You will care if it means getting them out of there-"

"Them?" Gale is suddenly paying more attention.

Haymitch stands up and starts to lead him back to the front door, "Slip of the tongue, forgot the rule change was only for last year. Get home- take care of your family- and come back tomorrow. Same time."

Gale stops at the door, "Why should I?"

"Because- if the Capitol changed the rules once, who's to say they won't do it again? You need to make 'em angry when they interview you."

"_Make who angry_?"

Haymitch grins as he pushes him out, "Everyone."

-oOo-

It is day three of the 75th Hunger Games and Madge has a fever. She knows the second she wakes up. Her skin is clammy and her head is hot and she had definitely been sweating through the night. She doesn't know _why. _The only wound she has is the cut on her hand from the piece of glass and it's already healed over some. It is not infected. Rory catches her before she hits the ground.

She's terribly dizzy- Her _ankle_ hurts. Madge manages to sit up and takes off her right shoe. She rolls up her pant leg and Rory gasps along with her.

Her ankle is swollen and purple and in the center of the dark coloring is a blister- it's-

"It's a spider bite." Rory winces and pulls her along the ground. He sets her up against the wall and Annie helps her elevate her leg.

"It's very bad." Annie says solemnly, before her eyes glaze over and she looks at a point in the ceiling. Trevor sits her down and her hands cover her ears.

The two twelve-year-old boys look at each other for guidance.

They're lost.

Outside, the rainstorm rages on and two cannons boom loudly.

* * *

**A/N: What's going to happen to Madge?! What's Gale going to do?!**


	7. The Final Eight

The night before the people from the Capitol are scheduled to come, **Gale** watches a parachute float right into Rory's hands. Inside the box is a tiny syringe that must have cost a fortune. Katniss and Peeta must have done something spectacular. The swelling in Madge's ankle immediately lessens and she seems more alert. It's a small comfort, watching her write more names on the wall. Snow must be furious. There are only eight tributes left in the games: Rory, Madge, Annie, Trevor, both from Two, and the brother and sister from Eight. The ones from Two have systematically cut down the other tributes, while the rest are barely getting by. Their backpack had been filled with rations, a lucky find in the barren city landscape of the arena, but their supply is running out.

Gale can tell that Rory is exhausted and part of him wants to tell Madge to let the kid rest- but he knows that they have to keep vigilant. Madge is still ill, and probably hallucinating, and the ones from Two are getting frustrated with finding them all. The brother and sister from Eight have been hiding underneath the city the entire time, but Gale doesn't think the girl will last another day there. They're actually lost, and can't find an exit.

His mother makes him go to bed, and takes his post, because when the cameras come, he's the one who has to be ready to put on a show.

-oOo-

When the cameras come to Twelve, Gale meets his 'girlfriend's' father at the Justice Building. He meets him for about two seconds and then he's whisked away by some short man with a flaming wig.

In a whirlwind of activity, he's primped and plucked by a crew of teal skinned goons, given a list of questions to choose from, placed in some room he didn't know existed, and now he's waiting for the cameramen to come.

Gale taps his fingers on the armrest of the chair he's been seated in and it bothers him, having to talk to these kinds of people- these people who like to watch children die. But he'll do whatever it takes to get Rory some help. And Madge.

He owes Madge this, at least.

He manages to hold in his scathing comments when the people from the Capitol come in and talk like he isn't even there. They talk about the latest fashions and trends and about parties and people he couldn't care less about.

The man with the flaming hair from earlier sits across from him and a big guy with a strange mustache holds the camera.

"So, Gale, how does it feel to have the love of your life and your little brother in the Games?"

Gale settles his glare on the microphone and manages to grit out, "Not too great."

"Yeah, tough luck-"

Gale laughs, "Luck? Ha! You've got to be kidding me."

Samuel, the interviewer, raises an orange brow and pushes the microphone closer to Gale.  
"What do you mean?"

"The reaping this year was ridiculous. The _odds_ weren't in my favor, were they? Never been in our favor…"

The cameraman looks uncomfortable and Gale knows he's making Haymitch proud.

"What about last year's victors- Katniss and Peeta- The odds were definitely in their favor-"

"If you say so."

Samuel laughs nervously. "Well, just last night they partnered together with _the _Finnick Odair to get your girl some medicine. What do you have to say about that?"

"They're trying their best," he coughs and continues, "The mentors this year must be pretty upset."

Samuel takes a deep breath and motions that he only has so much time left.

"Perhaps, but that's the point of the Quell now, isn't it? To make a statement."

Gale scoffs. "And what a message it sends. We tried to kill you once, but hey, your family will do just as good- if not better."

Samuel's had enough. "Gale, if you could say anything- anything at all- to Madge and Rory, what would you say?"

Gale waits. Thinks about it. Waits some more.

He takes the microphone from Samuel and looks right into the camera.

"Rory, I want you to do whatever it takes. Don't hold back, kid, I've seen what you can do." He has to stop before he gets too emotional. He moves on to Madge.

"Madge- I- I should be there with you, but since I can't- you make 'em pay, Madge, make 'em regret ever doing this. To you- To Rory- To everyone."

-oOo-

He shakes hands with the Mayor as the Capitol team travels back to their train, surly and sullen because their footage with the Mayor and Gale can't be erased from Panem's ears and eyes. Gale isn't sure what to say when Mayor Undersee asks him to join him for a drink. He just nods and follows him into a dimly lit room.

He feels very out of place as he sits down across from the Mayor and takes a glass from the older man.

"You have a lot of people putting faith in them now, Mr. Hawthorne."

Gale frowns and says, "I would hope so."

The Mayor sighs and looks even older as he tilts his glass in small circles and stares at a spot on his desk.

"What an awful position to be in, torn between your brother and your girlfriend."

Gale flinches at the last word.

"Sir, Madge and I- um-"

The thing was- There _had_ been _something_ between him and Madge. Not anything substantial, but… could there have been? Gale wasn't really sure. He wouldn't get the chance to _be_ sure, considering Madge had all but declared her death a total of seven times in the Games since the initial interview.

"She spoke about you- quite a few times, actually."

Gale blinks, "Really?"

"Oh, yes. Especially after she brought you her mother's morphling back in January-"

Gale is stunned. "She _what?_"

The Mayor looks at Gale strangely before asking, "You didn't know?"

"_No." _

"Oh, well, Thread was quite harsh on you- really, that man needs to control himself. If I'd been there… Well, can't dwell on that. Madge told her mother everything, who told me everything too. She saw the whole thing in the square and wanted to help. That's my Madge, always trying to help. Her mother offered the morphling and made her take it to Iris Everdeen. Iris, Maybell, and Maysilee used to be great friends before the last Quell."

Gale doesn't know what to say. He's still reeling from the initial shock. He _definitely _owes Madge, big time.

"Poor Madge. And your little brother too.. Such a terrible place they're in.."

"Terrible.." Gale repeats quietly.

The Mayor gives him a level stare and downs his drink in one shot. He leans back in his chair and looks at a picture of Madge and his wife that sits on his desk.

"Tell me, Gale…" The Mayor slides a slip of paper across the desk and Gale picks it up, "What would you do to get them out?"

The scrap reads: '_13 lives'._

Without missing a beat, Gale says, "Anything."

* * *

**A/N: please review and let me know what you think, some advice would be nice, or tell me what you think is going to happen.**


	8. The Breakdown

_It's time to take a stand_, **Madge** thinks, as they eat the last of their meals. She feels much better and her ankle doesn't hurt. That medicine saved her life, got her out of the strange place the venom of the spider took her to. She won't let it go to waste.

She lost consciousness a few times- or at least, that's what Rory says. She doesn't remember clearly enough to be sure.

They come up with a plan to catch the Careers off guard, and no matter how much Madge hates playing these Games, she knows that she has to incapacitate them, or kill them, before they kill her or her friends. She'll try to save them, even if it means drawing out the Games.

Annie and Trevor have grown on her. She feels responsible for them.

Annie isn't crazy; she's just a little damaged and Madge can handle that.

She knows damaged.

Her mother was also damaged by the Games. Madge likes to braid Annie's hair whenever she goes quiet, if only to let the older woman know she's there. When Annie was reaped, Madge had a hard time figuring out why she'd been in the reaping in the first place. As a victor herself, she should have been exempt. But, for some reason, the Capitol wanted her in the Games. They wanted to hurt whoever valued Annie. It took awhile, but after talking to Annie for just a day, Madge knows exactly who the Capitol wants to see suffer. Annie's in love with her mentor Finnick Odair.

He must love her too.

Annie's token is a rope bracelet with a mockingjay charm on it that matches Maysilee's pin. She goes on and on about how Finnick made it himself.

Madge can remember Finnick's Games and the way he charmed the Capitol with his good looks. He charmed practically all of Panem, too.

Something is stirring in Panem and Madge is proud that her aunt's symbol is the one that strikes fear in Snow's eyes.

Trevor and Rory goof around like they've known each other all their lives and Madge is more than happy to listen to their banter and laughs. She almost feels peaceful, but the arena reminds her they are not safe in the slightest. The storm outside hasn't stopped since it started, and she knows the Gamemakers are up to something. There hasn't been a cannon all day. The tributes aren't being entertaining enough.

According to the wall of fallen tributes, there are only eight of them left in the arena.

"Madge?"

She throws her ration wrapper into a pile of trash before she looks at Rory.

He looks a little uncomfortable and it strikes her in the heart.

Rory is a good kid. A genuinely _good_ kid with rotten luck and a big heart. He took care of her- he kept Trevor from having a nervous breakdown while Annie and Madge were not themselves- he made sure she didn't _die_. He scoots a bit closer to her as Annie and Trevor talk amongst themselves.

"Do you think Gale's still mad at me?"

Madge bites the inside of her cheek to keep from reacting to the twelve year old's sad eyes.

She sends him a convincing smile and hopes the cameras are broadcasting this to District Twelve. Gale better be watching.

"He wasn't mad at you, Rory." She stretches and yawns as she continues, "You know who he's _really_ mad at."

Rory mulls her words over and nods at her gratefully before he asks Trevor about his life.

Trevor talks about his district with a lot of pride. Madge really likes to listen to him talk about the people of Four. He paints them in a very positive light, and all in all, Madge notices that Trevor is quite the optimist. According to him, life in Four is good, as long as you can use a fishing pole or a net. Annie pitches in that he's not exaggerating. The view is also nice. Annie loves sunrises. Madge almost comments that she wants to visit Four with them someday, but she stops herself. It would only ruin their good mood.

All the talk of Four gets Rory in a not so good mood, so he talks about the trees in Twelve and the way the snow gets stuck to his boots when he walks to school. Madge waxes poetry about the flowers in the Meadow and strawberries. They talk about Katniss and Peeta and Prim. Madge makes sure to thank Katniss and Peeta for the medicine. Madge talks about dancing and Annie stands up to be her dance partner.

They're not very good dancers but the boys laugh and ask them to dance. Annie curtsies and takes Rory's hand and they spin around goofily. Madge leads Trevor through a complex routine full of jumping and twisting and they step all over each other's feet. They all switch partners and Madge ends up with Annie and the boys make faces at each other while waving their arms about. Madge spins Annie twice before she goes off on her own little bout of spinning.

As Rory and Trevor argue over height, Madge takes a peek out the large window and immediately wishes she could take it back. Glory and Boone are on the hunt and snooping through the building across the road. On the thirteenth floor. Looking out their own window. Right at Madge.

Glory whips her hair back and Madge can see her counting the floors as Boone runs out of sight.

Annie drops to the ground in a fit of giggles that snaps Madge out of her stupor.

"_Rory_…" She takes a step back in horror, before she runs for the small backpack, "Get me the dynamite. _Now."_

She fumbles with the matches in her fingers but manages to light one as Rory hands her one of the sticks of dynamite from the box. The instructions at the training center were clear and Madge is the only one of the four who actually practiced. Trevor breaks the window with a rock and Madge waits. Annie's hands are plastered over her ears and Rory, coming from Twelve, knows about what to do when things explode. He's ready.

Boone comes running out of his building and he's not looking up, and Madge doesn't think twice when she lights the stick, throws it straight down, and covers Trevor's ears.

The explosion rocks the building.

-oOo-

Gale, Hazelle, Vick, and Posy are at the Everdeen's when their house explodes, but the Capitol doesn't need to know that.

It's much better that they think the Hawthorne's are dead, except poor Rory, who's still in the Games. A freak accident, Peacekeepers call it. Everyone in the district knows better. And they're _angry. _And when it's broadcasted across Panem that little Rory Hawthorne is all alone in the world and brave Madge's boyfriend is long gone, Panem is _angry._ Capitol citizens are pouring in sponsorships and crying over lost toys.

Haymitch hides the family in his house because he's sure he's found all the Capitol's little cameras and microphones. Hazelle is trying so hard to be strong and Gale stands by her and holds Posy in one arm. Posy doesn't like Haymitch because he's '_scary'. _Vick keeps looking around the house, in awe of the pig sty. Hazelle runs a tight ship, well, ran a tight ship at home, so a mess this big is a strange sight to see.

Besides Haymitch and the Everdeen's, only the Mayor knows they're still alive-

Him_ and_ the small group of soldiers from District 13 who are waiting to take them away.


	9. The Great Escape

Glory isn't too happy that her ally has been blown to bits. **Madge** watches her come out of her building and she can't make out what she's shouting from all the way down there. Madge can't hear much of anything but the cannon for Boone rings loud and clear.

"Give me another one."

But before Rory can put another stick of dynamite in her hands, Glory shrieks and the ground beneath her feet crumbles. Madge loses sight of her in the rubble.

There is no cannon. The rain in the arena stops.

When she turns to her allies, they're all waiting for instructions.

"Rory, take down the snare, save the rope." She takes the small backpack and stuffs it with the little canteen, the flashlight, the leftover parachute, and the rest of the matches are in her hands. She gives Trevor the backpack and pats him on the head. He looks stunned until Madge puts her hands on his shoulders and shakes him a bit.

"Trevor?" She treads carefully.

He shakes his head and grips the straps of the backpack, "I'm alright."

"Annie, you okay?" Madge asks hesitantly, and she's relieved when Annie nods back seriously.

Madge lets out a shaky breath before she picks up the box of dynamite with one arm.

"Then we need to move."

Rory opens the door to the stairwell and holds the rope in his arms. Madge moves past him and leads the way down.

There are spiders _everywhere._ Madge shrieks and runs even faster down the steps. Annie is right behind her, followed by Rory and Trevor. They reach the ground floor and Madge stands ready to light another match in case Glory pops out of the rubble.

"Let's go."

-oOo-

With the rest of his family on their way to the safety of District 13, Gale feels pretty good about what he's about to do. When the soldiers from 13 ask him to join them on their mission, he only hesitates long enough to look at his mother before he agrees. They suit him up in the same black clothes they wear and a guy with black tinted goggles hands him a dart gun.

"Hold it like this, don't point it at any of us, only use it in an emergency."

Gale decides to just leave it in the belt. Their hovercraft is flying at top speed towards his brother and he can't wait to get him back.

The men in black go over their plans twice before Gale asks, "Why am I here?"

The man with the thick goggles probably rolls his eyes and says,

"For the cameras, of course."

For the first time, Gale notices a huge man with a camera lurking in a corner. He doesn't have time to dwell on that because a voice echoes through the hovercraft, alerting the small team that they're approaching the arena.

Gale prepares himself mentally, as much as he can, but the way the rest of the team hustles to get into the pod that will take them under the arena makes him feel pretty unprepared. And slow. The man with the goggles stands at the front of the tiny pod and he's arguing with someone over a comm line.

"No promises- we have our orders-… only if they're near the targets, Cecelia."

Gale just wants to ruffle his brother's stupid poufy hair again.

A tall woman sitting next to him pats his shaking knee and gives him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, we'll get your brother and girlfriend out."

And despite the kindness in her tone, Gale frowns. "She's not really my-"

"Get ready!" The man with the goggles shouts and the pod shudders. The lights go dim and they're moving through the ground. Gale's used to being underground- but this is an entirely new experience. It makes him anxious.

Gale holds onto his seat as the ride goes slower and gets rougher.

"We'll be under the arena in thirty seconds. We're grabbing the targets and leaving the way we came. Surfacing in twenty- nineteen- eighteen-"

The crew stands and Gale joins them at the loading hatch. There's a loud crumbling noise that shakes the pod and Gale can't breathe.

Someone shouts, "Tell Beetee- we're ready, lights out!"

His hand drifts to the gun at his belt and he locks his jaw.

_I'm coming Rory. _

-oOo-

Madge stumbles when the ground shakes again and the arena turns dark. She can't see for a moment as her eyes try to adjust. She reaches around and finds Rory's hand. She doesn't let go. The arena just seems to get darker, like every source of light has been eliminated. She doesn't know what the Gamemakers are up to, but it can't be good.

"Who's there?" A voice spooks her and she screams despite herself.

Rory throws his hand over her mouth.

"Madge?"

It's not Glory, that's for sure. But she hasn't heard this voice since the Interviews.

She's hesitant to answer, but licks Rory's hand and whispers the name into the darkness, "Adam?"

The ground shakes again and to Madge it sounds like the earth is going to swallow them up.

"_Madge_! Help-!" The sound of a struggle follows his call and Madge has heard enough. It _is _Adam- from District 8- and Madge can't just stand there and watch another person die. She can make out the outline of two people wrestling on the ground but she can't tell which is Adam.

Right as she lets go of Rory's hand, he gasps and yelps.

"_Rory!"_ Madge spins around and all she can see is Rory struggling in someone's grip. She steels herself and does the only thing she can think of.

"Rory!" Her arms wrap around Rory's waist and she pulls- sending herself, Rory, and his attacker to the ground.

Madge's mind is spinning- Boone must have survived- the cannon had to have been for Adam's sister- She shoves Rory behind herself before she throws herself on top of Boone. He tosses her off and goes back after Rory.

"Leave him alone!" She screams and jumps on his back. Her nails claw at his face and _now _he's paying attention to her.

"Dammit- Undersee- Stop!"

Madge doesn't hear him, the blood rushing in her head drowns out his pleas for her to _calm the hell down. _All she can think of is protecting Rory.

"Leave him alone!" She pulls Boone's hair roughly and he yelps. His hands drag her off his back and Madge closes her eyes- awaiting the deathblow that he's sure to deliver.

After a few seconds, it doesn't come.

Instead, "_Hell_, Undersee- _This_ is the thanks I get for saving your ass?"

Madge's eyes snap open. The amount of light in the arena is little to nothing, but she'd recognize those eyes anywhere.

"Gale!"

Rory reacts before his brother can put her down. The twelve year old latches onto his brother and Madge, asking questions at an impossible pace. The lights in the arena are slowly returning and Madge can't _breathe. _What's Gale doing here? Why did the Capitol bring him- That's not in the rules-

Over Gale's shoulder, Madge makes out a bloody, _angry_ Glory running towards them, spear in hand.

She doesn't think twice.

* * *

**A/N: Please let me know what you thought! :)**


	10. The Flight

Glory's arm stretches backwards as she prepares to throw her spear, but **Madge** is a quick thinker with sticky fingers. Too bad Gale's still got a grip on her. Her hands wrap around the weapon in his belt just as her teeth dig into his shoulder. Glory is upon them when Madge shoves the boys away and shakily points the gun at the older woman.

"Stop!" Madge yells, but Glory is in a rage and jumps over a pile of rubble to get to Madge.

The bang of the gun stuns Madge just as the spearhead pierces her between the ribs. She doesn't even notice it, until she hears Rory and Gale yelling and she looks down. Only the point is in her and she pulls it out. It hits her that that wasn't such a good idea when hot blood coats her shaky hand.

"_Oh_." She breathes out, and she falls into Gale's grasp. Rory is in her immediate vision and tears fill her eyes.

She wheezes. "I'm sorry- I'm _sorry-" _Her words slur,_ " _Don't let them forget me- or Mays-_" _

-oOo-

Gale doesn't leave Rory's side in the infirmary, even though the younger boy whines that he's not a baby and he's not even hurt. Gale doesn't care. As long as the doctors say he has to be there, he won't leave Rory alone. The look on his brother's face when he finally realized who was in the Arena with him was terrifying. Rory looked so ready to accept his sudden appearance, he hadn't even questioned how his brother had gotten there in the first place. He looked desperate for hope and, growing up in the Seam, Gale knew his brother was just about to give up.

The nightmares that had haunted him, when he was able to sleep, since the night of the Reaping were sure to stop now that he had his brother back safe and sound. He wasn't about to let anyone take him away again.

When Rory finally drifts to sleep, Gale stands and stretches. His face still stings from where Madge dug her claws into him. One part of him is upset with her, but because of the way she had been trying to defend Rory from an attacker- he can't stay mad.

His eyes drift from the curtain that separates Rory's bed and Madge's, to the bloodstained clothes in a bag on Rory's bedside table. He had been stupid to think that the rest of the crew was right behind him when he reached Madge and Rory. They were supposed to negate any threats to the targets while he grabbed them.

Gale had been so focused on saving Rory and let down his guard.

If Madge hadn't…

He doesn't know what would have happened.

One second, Madge was biting his shoulder and grabbing his gun, the next, she had a spear embedded in her chest and the woman behind them had a hole in her head.

It was pure chaos after that.

District Thirteen's soldiers had rushed them into their pod and back to the hovercraft, while Rory and himself tried to keep Madge from bleeding to death.

The doctors on board the craft took over from there, and rushed Madge away while other doctors took Rory. Gale had looked quite lost, standing in a doorway, until the man with the goggles handed him a change of clothes and ordered him to take a shower. He took just enough time to wash the blood off his skin and change before he rushed to the infirmary and planted himself next to his brother.

"Gale?"

The cautious voice doesn't startle him as much as it should have.

He turns around to meet her eyes and points at his brother. She nods her head and motions for him to follow her into the hall. He's not too keen on leaving the room because that means taking his eyes off his brother, which he promised his mother he wouldn't do. She won't find out.

Katniss tugs on the end of her braid for a while before she addresses him again.

"We just got a message. They're in 13, being held in a waiting room until we get there and sort things out."

Gale raises a brow at the word '_held'_ but Katniss doesn't catch his wariness. He suspects she's just glad she can see Prim soon. She avoids eye contact. The way Katniss moves around him, as though she's afraid he's going to explode like some sort of bomb, makes him nervous. Katniss changed after her Games. She went into the arena with the eyes of a predator, and came out prey.

"What else?" He asks, and he reminds himself to stay calm.

Pain flashes across his old hunting partner's face and he _knows_ she is hiding something.

"Katniss- _what else?"_

"The Capitol-" Katniss hisses angrily, and the fire in her eyes reminds him of his own, "Right after we got out of there, they sent tens of hovercrafts to the district!"

Gale lets the shock show plainly on his face, "To Twelve? Why?"

Katniss folds her arms and he can see her digging her fingers into her skin. She grits out, "Why else, Gale?"

If he knows the Capitol at all, he knows the only reason they'd send anything to Twelve is to send a signal to Panem. To set an example.

"What did they do?" He's almost afraid to ask, but this is a question that must be answered, and answered quickly.

He can read it in Katniss' eyes the second before she finally whispers,

"Thirteen- all over again."

-oOo-

Madge registers that everything hurts, but not too terribly. The pain is a strange one, muted but heavy. Everything feels heavy. When she tries to move, she can't, and she has to force her eyes to open. The curtain to her right shimmers and she's pretty sure the walls are moving. She's alive.

Her throat is heavy and dry but she manages to make noise. A weak moan slips past her lips and nothing else.

All at once, her memories catch up to her and the sight of Glory's bloody face makes her body thrash underneath her restraints.

"Madge!"

The shout startles her even more and she struggles more. Nothing in the room is staying still and black blurs are coming out of the glittery curtains that are trying to suffocate her. Madge tries to scream.

There are spiders- streaming over the curtain rod, crawling up her bed, eating her heavy flesh-

There's a loud bustling noise and a strange sensation in her arm.

All the spiders fade away.

* * *

**A/N: Let me know your feelings!**


	11. Thirteen

The next time Madge wakes up, the spiders are gone and the lingering effects of the drugs in her system are fading away. The room seems bigger. She is still restrained, she notices, as she tries to lift her arms but can't. It doesn't make sense to her. She turns her head to the left and gasps.

Peeta.

It is the sight of Peeta sleeping in a chair next to her bed that sends Madge into hysterical sobs, because if she is here- and Peeta is here- it means she has broken her promise. She has not died and the Capitol will crown her as victor and Rory has to be dead and so does Gale and she knows Glory is dead and so are Adam and Boone and Annie and Trevor-

"Madge! Calm down!" Peeta looks panicked.

How can she be calm when the Capitol has her- they won't do her the service of killing her, they'll hurt her, they'll make her their slave, no one will remember the others- no- no-

"Madge! Stop!"

In her addled mind, she believes there's another statement she can make before the Capitol takes her voice away.

She'll do it herself. No one wins this year.

Her thin wrist slips out of its restraint and before she can reach another buckle, Peeta is stopping her.

"No!" She yells hoarsely, "Don't let them take me, Peeta!"

"Calm down, Madge." Peeta says in a level voice and it stuns her.

She stops sobbing but tears still make their way down her face and into her wild hair. She's trembling.

She looks up at Peeta with watery blue eyes and whimpers, "I don't want to be in the Capitol-"

The grip on her wrist loosens and Peeta speaks to her as though she's a child, "We're not _in_ the Capitol, Madge. We're in District Thirteen and you're _safe_ here."

At first, she doesn't believe him, but the more she looks around, the more she realizes how different the room is from a Capitol one. It's plain, no windows, one door. It lacks the Capitol touch, the one where they make sure you know exactly how _great_ they are.

"Thir-teen?" She says slowly.

Peeta nods and hesitantly starts undoing her restraints. "Yeah, thirteen. Are you going to freak out on me if I let you out?"

"Why am I tied up?"

"The first time you woke up, you punched a doctor in the nose and called him some choice names. After that, they put you under until we got here."

"When?" Madge's throat feels awful, but she feels a little better now that she is able to sit up. When she does, it's with Peeta's help and her head spins a bit before her side aches. He gives her a glass of water and she tries to drink it slowly but before she knows it, she's asking him to fill her glass again.

"When did we get here?" She asks again, once she can't stomach any more water.

"Well, you've been here for two weeks. We barely saved you, Madge. The doctors said you actually died for a second."

Madge stops rubbing at her chaffed wrists and feels underneath her thin gown. One hand traces over a large scar on her abdomen and the other feels another on her back. She takes a deep breath and she feels oddly grateful for the scars. They are reminders that she is alive, as though Peeta's presence wasn't enough on its own. But what about everyone else?

"Rory-"

"He's fine." Peeta reclaims his seat after pressing something at the foot of her bed, "Our team got him out and he wasn't too scratched up."

"Team?"

"I should probably start at the beginning."

Madge nods, "That would be... nice."

Peeta tells her how Haymitch got in contact with Thirteen, and about the restless Victors, and about the way he and Katniss were left in charge of distracting the Capitol while Haymitch ran things from Twelve. She's angry. Haymitch _knew. _He knew about Thirteen and never thought to let her know- even after she got him all those newspapers. Madge stops him here and there, just to put pieces of the confusing puzzle together. He goes on about how her little wall of remembrance spread across the districts and how in almost every district, the names of the fallen tributes from every Hunger Games kept appearing. On scraps of paper left in the streets, in graffiti on abandoned homes, in the dirt, burned onto concrete walls of factories, branded on cattle. They were being remembered- they were being used to hold the Capitol accountable.

They were making a difference and Madge was _excited._

"They couldn't get enough of you, Madge. It was amazing, if the video feed Beetee showed us was anything to go by."

He tells her about how they planned to break them out of the arena, and how Gale got her sponsors.

The second Peeta says his name, Madge freezes.

She'd never expected to see Gale again- after her interview. She had very much planned on dying in the Games, to be the _last_ martyr, and seeing Gale in the arena had definitely thrown her for a loop.

Out of immediate danger for now, Madge has time to think about all the things she said in the Games about him and she feels almost embarrassed because they'd all be true, for her at least.

Peeta starts talking about the blackout when Madge looks around the room again.

"Where are my parents?"

When Peeta doesn't answer, she grips the thin blanket that has bunched up in her lap.

"Peeta?"

"Haymitch got to your mom before the bombs started falling. She's alright. She's on Level Nine right now because we couldn't get her clearance."

He doesn't continue right away and Madge's world seems thrown off again.

"My dad?"

"I'm sorry, Madge. The Peacekeepers took him with them. We don't know."

For a moment, Madge thinks he has to be joking and that Peeta's sense of humor must have been warped by his own Games, because she isn't laughing. But then she notices, he isn't laughing either- nor smiling- he's just looking at her, waiting for her to react.

But Madge doesn't know what to do. She stares at her hands and thinks about last time she straightened her father's collar. It makes no sense to her- that her Daddy could be taken from her.

She throws her legs over the side of her bed and growls, "Where's Haymitch?!"

Her feet touch the ground and she stands shakily.

Peeta stands up and raises his hands, "Madge, you shouldn't-"

She strides past him before he can stop her and her shaky hands grip the doorknob tightly and she yells, "Where's _Haymitch!?"_

The door doesn't seem to want to work for her trembling hands and Peeta reaches out for her at the same time her knees give out. She lies on the floor against the door and pounds at the innocent barrier.

"He _promised_ he'd keep them both _safe!" _She sobs and hits the door so hard that her fist starts to bleed.

Two sharp thoughts enter her mind and make her scream.

_All your fault!_

_You should be dead!_

And she can't hear anything else but that. Peeta gathers her off the floor, and gets a good fist to the cheek for his trouble. He forces her to sit back down on the bed and she bites at her lip to keep from screaming anymore. Her nails trail over the skin of her legs and leave bright red scratches in their wake. The true gravity of the situation hits her the same time an unfamiliar doctor with a black eye enters the room.

She wants to go back in time and tell herself not to say anything- not to be selfish- not to put her family in so much danger, but her father's voice reminds her that the Undersee family was always in danger- always being watched- always under fire- and that's why she had to stay. She had to keep fighting.

She would not be controlled. She was not to be overlooked.

The Capitol would not get away with taking her father, nor her aunt, nor her _home_.

When the doctor asks her to respond to his questions, Madge takes a deep breath and looks right at Peeta.

"I need to speak to Haymitch." The name still comes out as a hiss even though she tries to hold back her emotions.

While the doctor says no, Peeta nods from the doorframe.

The look in his eyes tells Madgeshe'll be seeing Haymitch any minute now.

So she waits.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry about the wait- I went over this chapter so many times to figure out what was wrong with it, and even though I fixed a lot of things, it still isn't what I want it to be. A little longer than the other chapters and all about Madge, how did it feel to you?

Up next, we'll check in on Gale :)


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